Gunner Thomas A Walsh

Thomas Anthony Walsh (Tommy) was born in Brewery Lane, Ennis, Co Clare, Ireland, on the 18 April 1911. He was the youngest of four children, three boys: Christopher, John, himself and a girl, Myra.

On the 28 October 1939, at Acton, London, Walsh enlisted in the Royal Artillery Territorial Army of the British Army. He became Gunner Walsh, Serial No. 929839. The date of birth on his Soldier’s and Service Pay Book was inaccurately entered as the 18 January 1912 (He may have been trying to give the impression of being younger!) There was no mystery why he joined. He saw the freedom of Europe and democracy threatened by Hitler and German invasion so he joined up to fight in the British Army and against fascism. In fact, he would have fought for anyone against what he perceived as a common foe. He was posted to the 5th Field Training Regiment (5th Regiment Royal Artillery, RHA) on the 15 November 1939 where he was trained and then to a General Base Depot in Dover. He was assigned to the British Expeditionary Force [1] and posted to France on the 27 April. 1940 where he undertook despatch rider duties. This may have been as part of the Divisional Troops of the 44th Division of the British Army. [2] It is believed he was evacuated (injured) from The Mole, Dunkirk [3] via Armentiéres and Oost Cappel to England on the 31 May 1940.

Sometime after this date (it is not specifically recorded in his paybook, although estimated at the 25 June 1940), Walsh was posted to the 48th Division (South Midland) and to the 53rd Queen’s Own Worcestershire (also known as the Hussars) Yeomanry on the same day.[4] (This does not seem to be the regiment in which he served with while posted to France). The regiment known as the 53rd Anti-Tank Regiment subsequently became the 53rd Light Regiment and again the 53rd Airlanding Light Regiment also known as the 6th Airlanding Light Regiment. He was assigned to 210 Battery. Their main weapon was a 6 pounder Anti-Tank gun. At one stage, he was posted to coastal defences in Upsall. This may have occurred before he joined the previously mentioned regiment. He was passed fit for airborne duties and trained for glider drops.

On the 14 June 1944, (D Day+8), Walsh landed in Normandy, France as part of the Allied Liberation Force and the 6th Airborne Division’s Divisional Troops, the 53rd Air Landing Brigade or the 6th Air Landing Brigade. (His paybook says the 9 June which is the embarkation date). His 210 Battery were supposed to be dropped by glider on the first day but there were not enough gliders and the weather was bad. They left Newhaven on the ‘Empire Capulet,’ for France on the 9 June, arriving outside Luc-sur-mer on the 13th [5] going ashore on the 14th at Sword beach and spent the night of the 14th at Colleville-sur-Orne (now Colleville-Montgomery), moving to the east bank of the Orne River at Bénouville. On the 15th they moved to north west of Longueville, north west of the River Orne. The regiment became a support unit to the 3rd and 5th Parachute Brigades of the 6th Airborne Division.[6] Walsh may have participated in Operation Goodwood; the second attempt by the British to break out of the Normandy bridgehead and take Caen.[7]

By the 18 August Walsh's Regiment was near Cabourg in divisional support of the infantry troops of the 6th Airlanding Brigade, (1st Battalion of The Royal Ulster Rifles; 12th Battalion The Devonshire Regiment; 2nd Battalion The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Regiment[8]) and on the 21st they moved north of Dozule, the 22nd Branville, the 24th west of the River Touques and on the 26th on the River Risle/Seine/Foulbec. This was part of Operation Paddle under Major-General Gale, the push towards the Seine River.[9]  On the 27 August, the Regiment retired to Equemonville between Honfleur and Pont Andemer, [10] and on the 3 September 1944, they embarked for England and Southampton from Arromanches.

On the 21 April 1945, Walsh returned to Europe as part of the British Liberation Army. From here on it is difficult to follow exactly what happened. His Regiment was posted to France on the 22nd December 1944. He may well have been wounded and unfit at the time. What happened next is unclear.[11] His paybook indicates, as does Ministry of Defence Records that he went to Norway, possibly on the 2nd June 1945. This was Operation Doomsday. He could have been posted to 21st Army Group and 1st Airborne Division’s, divisional troops as part of the 1st Airlanding Light Regiment.[12] Following Arnhem, the remnants of the 1st Airborne were sent to Norway to round up German troops at this time. It is known he took part in the liberation of Norway from German occupation as he received a letter from the King of Norway thanking him for his service. He was evacuated to England on the 27 August 1945. He may have been wounded or injured in some way as he wasn’t discharged from the British Army until the 11 July 1947.

Walsh was decorated for his services and received the 1939/45 Star, the France and Germany Star, the Defence Medal and the War Medal 1939/45. In 2011, his family acquired [13] the unofficial medals that he was entitled to: The Dunkirk Medal initiated by the Mayor of Dunkirk in 1965 and the Normandy Medal commissioned by the Normandy Veteran’s Association in 1987. These now hang below his official Campaign Medals, as is standard practise.

Thomas Walsh died on the 16 April 1998 at Riverdale Nursing Home, Blackwater, Co. Clare, IRELAND.

[1] Public Record Office, London, May 1999; WO 166/1626.

[2] Fraser, David. ‘And We Shall Shock Them.’ The British Army in the Second World War, Cassell, London, 1999.

[3] He told me he left by ship from a harbour!

[4] Yeomanry; Yeoman, volunteer cavalry force, prob. = young man.

[5] Ibid, WO 171/1017

[6]  Guttery, D.R. ‘The Queen’s Own Worcestershire Hussars 1922-1956,’ Mark & Moody, Worcestershire, 1958. A badly researched book with no image and no mention of many members of the Regiment, including Walsh.

[7] Hastings, Max. ‘Overlord,’ Papermac, London, 1993.

[8] Harclerode, Peter. ‘Go To It! The Illustrated History of the 6th Airborne Division, Bloomsbury, London, 1990.

[9] Ibid. Guttery.

[10] Ibid. Harclerode.

[11] There is no record of his participation in the Norwegian Campaign at the Public Records Office in the regimental diaries of the 53rd Queen’s Own Worcestershire Yeomanry. Neither does his Personal Service Record make any mention of his efforts in Norway, other than that he was demobbed in 1947.

[12] Mark Hickman, Pegasus Archive

[13] Walsh would probably have disliked this idea intensely but they were acquired so that some future generations of his family and others might understand what he did and to show more accurately where he was and what he went through. Even though they are unofficial, only soldiers who served in these events are entitled to these medals.